George Clooney's ex-wife has starred in Homeland and Mad Men - but who is Talia Balsam?

THINK of two of the biggest TV series in recent times.

Chances are Homeland and Mad Men won’t be far from your thoughts. Now name someone who has starred in both.

Smiling and unassuming, Talia Balsam wouldn’t expect you to know it was her. In fact, the actress jokes that she isn’t even the most famous person in her own family.

“I could be standing next to John and people have no clue,” laughs the 54 year old, who is married to Mad Men’s silver fox John Slattery.

“He’s very recognised; I’m always a little bit under the radar. John will say, ‘You know, this is Mona!"

Talia has made sporadic appearances as Roger Sterling’s ex-wife Mona, throughout the six series of the show, and she says that working with John hasn’t been strange in the slightest.

“There’s an ease to it now,” she says. “Whereas when you’re younger, as actors you are nervous about having a history together.

Being older, you have a history anyway.”

It’s little wonder fans don’t instantly recognise Talia from the show. For one thing the slender brunette seems a lot younger in the flesh.

“The costumes make you look so different,” she says.

“And my hair is long and curly and crazy.

Also that period of the 60s can age women a little bit.”

She and John married on Hawaii’s famous Garden Isle, Kauai, back in 1998, but Google her love life and you’re more likely to land on a match for her first husband.

Talia tied the knot with George Clooney in 1989 and the couple stayed together for four years.

Clooney has since spoken repeatedly of his regrets, saying, “I definitely wasn’t someone who should have been married at that point.

I just don’t feel like I gave Talia a fair shot.”

Clooney is Hollywood’s most talked about bachelor these days, so doesn’t Talia get sick of her name forever being mentioned in the same breath as his?

“I’m totally used to it now,” she says matter of factly. “And he does talk about it more than I do! It’s funny because it’s still in the present somehow, even though it was a long time ago.

Now it’s just a fact. It doesn’t even enter my head any more.”

Does it feel like a lifetime ago?

“It does actually. But George and John have worked together since and get on very well.

Everyone’s very friendly."

Born in New York, Talia has acting in her blood.

Her uncle Dick Van Patten is famous for starring in 1970s US sitcom Eight is Enough.

And her late father, actor Martin Balsam, was a fixture in some of Hollywood’s best-loved films, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and 12 Angry Men to Psycho, where he starred as Detective Milton Arbogast.

Still, it wasn’t a given that Talia would follow in their footsteps.

“I always think it’s like coming from a family of doctors – going into the family business – but I don’t know if acting was really in my nature,” she reflects.

“I’m much more shy than most of my family. People always think actors are really ‘out there’ so you wouldn’t have me pegged as one, but I knew pretty early on it was what I wanted to do, and I think that’s pretty lucky.

I had the benefit of watching good people show me what it really is to be an actor – the day in and day out of it.”

Talia with husband John Slattery and son Harry

I have the Oscar in my house now, it’s in the living room. When people notice it, they always say, My God, can I pick it up?

Talia Balsam

Talia was seven years old when her dad won a best-supporting actor Oscar for A Thousand Clowns, and she just about recalls the 1966 ceremony.

“I remember watching it on television, but I didn’t really understand it.

I have the Oscar in my house now, it’s in the living room.

When people notice it, they always say, ‘My God, can I pick it up?’ But it’s very tarnished and not very gleamy.

I love it, though, and I am glad to have it.”

Talia’s own acting days got off to a good start, with appearances in popular TV shows like Happy Days and Taxi.

She has popped up in numerous TV movies and series over the years, from Magnum, PI and Cagney & Lacey to Law & Order.

But she says working on Homeland was the most fun she has ever had.

Talia adored playing woman-of-steel Cynthia, Vice President William Walden’s smart, headstrong wife – even though fans will miss out on the majority of her work.

“A lot of my material was cut,” she says. “It’s frustrating but, of course, they know what they’re doing.

Homeland is a riveting show and I really loved the part.”

She also enjoyed reuniting with her old neighbour, Damian Lewis, who stars in the hit series.

“We were renting a house next door to Damian and his wife Helen in Santa Monica one summer,” she recalls.

“I actually already knew Damian because he and John had worked together on a film called The Situation.

Our families would have cups of tea and lunches, but he was just great with me when we were filming in North Carolina. Wonderful.

And he’s wonderful on the show.”

Talia describes herself as a “huuuuge fan” of the show, and reveals that she and her husband watched episodes obsessively at home.

“Homeland is so tense. It makes me nervous all the time,” she says. “When I was filming I’d say to John, ‘You can’t believe what’s happened.’”

So did she never spill the plotlines to him?

“Oh no. You don’t want to spoil it. I was very honoured to be on it.”

Talia won’t give away any details about season three of Homeland, which starts later this month.

But she will reveal that she won’t be returning to the series any time soon.

“I can safely say that. I don’t want to mention how season two ended, in case anyone hasn’t seen it yet, but let’s just say it was a big surprise for viewers.”

So with Homeland done and dusted, what next for the star?

Talia isn’t sure, although she fancies the idea of working in London at some point. In the meantime though, she and John have their 14-year-old son Harry to keep them occupied.

“Having a kid keeps you young even though you feel tired sometimes,” she says. “But it’s a good life and I certainly feel young.

I just sort of ignore my age – I’m in massive denial! But I also feel very happy. I think that has a lot to do with it.”

The second season of Homeland is out on DVD on September 23. Series three returns in the autumn to Channel 4.